The Design Block

If you're looking for the latest in advertising and marketing, design related technology and lifestyle tips, and art or design highlights then you're in the right place. Find all this and more with the Design Block blog.

When we think about beautifully designed desserts, cakes often get all the credit. But you can’t underestimate the power of creative pies. Lauren Ko is a Seattle-based baker who got her start after her Instagram account of pies with unique geometric designs went viral.

People seem to get excited at the beginning of fall with all of the pumpkin-flavoured foods and drinks. And The International House of Pancakes (IHOP) tends to fill that demands with their Pumpkin Pancakes. This year, however, they’re trying something different with pumpkin flavours.

Apparently, the idea of getting free pizza in Russia is a powerful promotion. In fact, it turned out to be so powerful that Domino’s Pizza had to end their promotion as quickly as it began. Domino’s had offered free pizza for life to anyone who got…

When London-based photographer Carl Warner was a child, he probably wasn’t listening when his parents told him not to play with his food. The artist uses a wide variety of ingredients, such as deli meats, fresh fish, fruit, vegetables and bread as the medium for his food art landscapes.

Move over sushi doughnuts, the Donug is latest doughnut-shaped food trend to grip the globe. If you’re repulsed by the idea of a chicken-flavoured doughnut or, perhaps, have your interest piqued by a doughnut-encrusted chicken nugget, it’s not really either of those things.

Vegetarians won’t have to opt for only fries the next time their friends want to go to KFC. The iconic chicken brand says it’s cooking up a new, healthier recipe; one that will be missing the restaurant chain’s most famous ingredient: chicken.

The colourless beverage trend in Japan includes drinks like yogurt drinks, milk tea, coffee, and most recently, beer. On June 19th, Japanese drinks giant Suntory is launching a non-alcoholic colourless beer; packaged in a plastic bottle, the company hopes it will be particularly popular with…

If you thought that a pastry chef only baked cakes, you’d be wrong. Elena Gnut is a 31-year-old Pastry Chef from Kaliningrad, Russia, who gained over 140k Instagram followers by showcasing her original intricate cake designs.

Following the opening of its first coffee bar in Japan, Seattle-based Starbucks has announced its plans to launch another in Osaka. The new Starbucks Reserve bar aims to please their evening crowds with a menu of beverages spiked with alcohol.

In the social media era, it feels as if new baking trends appear each month; with hundreds of up-and-coming bakers hawking their visual masterpieces on Instagram, it takes something unique to stand out.

At the rate we’re going there will be billions more hungry mouths putting a strain on the planet’s resources. However, eating bugs might be a solution. SPACE10, IKEA’s external innovation lab, has begun experimenting with putting mealworms and other bugs into their meatballs and burgers. More…

Two college staples have united in one cardboard tube of dehydrated snacks. Pringles has teamed up with Nissin, producers of Cup Noodles, to make a limited edition Top Ramen Chicken–flavoured Pringles potato chips.

Coca-Cola isn’t just about soda, they sell many different beverages including water, flavoured sugar water, milk, iced tea and more. In fact, in the early days of the company from 1886 – 1929, Coca-Cola even had cocaine in it. However, alcohol has never been on that…

Johnnie Walker is the latest company to a release female version of its product. In an attempt to draw more women to the world’s bestselling scotch, as well as acknowledge a broader push toward gender equality, Johnnie Walker has released Jane Walker.

You might think that it’s too cold for ice cream. However, one café in Glasgow, Scotland is serving up dangerous ice cream that’s more than hot enough to warm you up. With part of ice cream’s delicious appeal being its cool, smooth texture, what happens when you…

The repeal of Net Neutrality is a major issue that will significantly affect the average internet user. However, many people still don’t fully understand what it means. So, how best to explain the repeal of Net Neutrality? Burger King has decided to help and explains it…

This Valentine’s Day, KFC wants you to send your crush a special card. To show your loved ones how much you care, give them a fried chicken scratch & sniff Valentine’s Day card featuring Colonel Sanders.

When it comes to potato chips, there are plenty of flavours available for you to choose. And in an increasingly competitive market, having new and unique flavours helps to bring in new consumers. However, potato chip brand Pringles has surprised its fans with the most…

The rise of Instagram has not-so-coincidentally caused people to better decorate their meals. It’s also gotten people to experiment with new dishes as well. And kicking off 2018 is this newest food trend called the Crossushi.

Last month, a chicken wing pop-up bar rolled into Finnieston’s DockYard Social in Scotland. What makes that unique? A Wing and a Prayer is a Drake-themed bar where you can enjoy a night out and have some wings.

Lip balms are important during the winter months as the air tends to be dryer. Therefore it’s essential to keep your lips moisturized. So if you want to kiss your dry lips goodbye, Mad Beauty has the perfect solution.

If you’re into all things designer, Dolce & Gabbana are marking the holiday season with designer pasta. The Italian fashion house has teamed up with family-run pasta brand Pastificio Di Martino to release a limited edition set of festive pasta tins.

Taco Bell is testing its latest food mashup in the US: a quesadilla stuffed with, not cheese, but a Kit Kat. Released last month, the fast food restaurant announced that it’s experimenting with Chocodillas in Wisconsin.

Australian burger chain Huxtaburger will be offering a distinctly creepy burger on Halloween. And just so you know, the extra crunch in this burger isn’t from the crispy lettuce. Rather, it’s the healthy serving of mealworms.

These days, you can find marijuana infused in everything from bath bombs to pizza. In fact, once Canada finally legalizes it next year, expect to see a lot more edibles on the market here. However, already legal in California, marijuana beer has debuted.

People put a lot of things on their hot dogs in Chicago; the one thing they absolutely won’t put on is ketchup. Most Chicagoans opt for mustard, relish, onion and pickled condiments instead. Where this rule originated is a mystery, but one by which natives of the Windy…

We live in an age of viral pranks where companies will do almost anything to get your attention. Some go with the trends, like Starbucks’ Unicorn Frappuccino. Not wanting be buried under all the social media hype is KFC, which just released a new line of…

Ice cream comes in almost any colour and flavour you can think of accept black – until now that is. After gaining a bit of a cult following last summer in the US, black ice cream has made its way north of the border.

Whether it’s to celebrate a victory or a quick way to feed the family, pizza is an incredibly popular food; especially in Canada. But why eat your pizza when you can wear it? To celebrate National Bikini Day today, restaurant chain Villa Italian Kitchen has partnered New York-Based food stylist Jessie Bearden to create…

Latte art is nothing new; your barista at the local coffee shop probably serves up drinks adorned with hearts or flowers. In South Korea, the latte art scene is growing at an astonishing rate. And spearheading the movement is Lee Kang Bin, a talented barista. His latte art, which he…

If you’re in a hurry, getting lunch at the drive-thru is a convenient way to get your fast food. But what if that wasn’t convenient enough for you? Well, McDonald’s isn’t going to wait for you to come to its brick-and-mortar; rather, it’s taken the initiative…

Do you eat cake for dessert? Or is it something you only have on special occasions, like your birthday or divorce? Russian cake designer Kalabasa recently ignited the latest social media cake trend with her brushstroke cakes. Also known as feathers, they’re true masterpieces of food…

Helvetica is a sans serif typeface that’s one of the most popular in the world with designers. That’s why it shouldn’t come as a surprise that its influence has spread far and wide; but to coffee? Now that’s something you probably didn’t see coming.

Starbucks has decided to jump on the rainbow-themed food trend bandwagon with its Unicorn Frappuccino blended beverage. The sparkly frozen beverage, which was only available from April 19 to 23, had quickly become a social media sensation.

Last month, McDonald’s unveiled new uniforms for its U.S. locations in 2017. And with that release, the new uniforms are prompting some online teasing; with comments saying the grey-toned shirts and aprons make employees look like they’re part of totalitarian regimes.

Waiting for the pizza guy can sometimes get you anxious. Will it be here in time for the start of the game? Has he passed my house? Pizza tracking with Domino’s just became more fun via its new partnership with IFTTT. The duo, with help from…

Are you one of those people who can’t start their day without a cup of coffee? There are many benefits to enjoying a hot cup of joe every morning, including: lowering the risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and MS. However, that constant coffee drinking can lead…

You don’t usually celebrate getting a divorce. Well, not in the same way weddings are. However, in recent years, parties have become popular to mark the end of a marriage. And as these divorce parties become more common, celebratory cakes have become the latest trend.

Daniel Swanick has been working as both a freelance and in-house Art Director / Senior Graphic Designer in the Greater Toronto Area for over ten years. He looks at every project from both a creative and strategic point-of-view to deliver engaging, conceptually driven ideas.